Two crude bombs found in Bangalore, IPL semis move to Mumbai (Roundup)

BANGALORE/MUMBAI - The Indian Premier League (IPL) Sunday hurriedly shifted both its semi-finals to Mumbai after two more crude bombs were found near the the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore Sunday, only a day after two minor blasts near the venue injured 16 people.

One of the bombs was found near a bus stop close to Gate No 1, the main entrance to the stadium, at around 9 a.m. The other was hidden in a metal pole supporting an advertisement billboard outside the stadium, Bangalore Police Commissioner Shankar Bidari said.

Bomb disposal experts quickly defused both the bombs. But no timer device was attached to them.

The chilling discovery rang alarm bells in India’s bustling IT capital which had been eagerly preparing to host the IPL semi-finals Wednesday and Thursday.

Bidari said his men would now search the nearly 1,000 billboards around the stadium — for more concealed explosives. Huge billboards surround the 40,000-capacity stadium.

“As a precautionary measure we will search all the billboards and also remove them,” Bidari said.

The stadium is located in the heart of the city, with the popular shopping area M.G. Road on one side and Cubbon Road on the other.

Saturday evening’s twin blasts had delayed the start of the Royal Challengers Bangalore-Mumbai Indian tie by an hour.

Not wanting to take any risk, the IPL authorities announced the shifting of the semi-finals to Navi Mumbai.

IPL chief Lalit Modi said the governing council was not ready to take any chances and wanted to ensure the safety of players and spectators. The two matches will now take place at the D.Y. Patil Sports Academy.

“Yesterday’s incidents have made it clear that the current environment in Bangalore prevents us from continuing with our original plans. The incidents were assessed by local police and the IPL’s security agency as being of a minor nature but they have forced our hand.

“This decision is naturally disappointing for the people of Bangalore but has been taken with the tournament’s best interests and the interests of its many varied stakeholders, in mind,” Modi said in a statement.

Indian cricket board vice-president Rajiv Shukla told reporters in Bangalore: “We have decided to shift the semi-finals keeping in view the safety of players and fans after the Bangalore police commissioner expressed apprehension over providing adequate security in and around the stadium.”

Top officials of Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), and IPL security agency had Sunday discussed with Bidari the security arrangements.

The Karnataka Police meanwhile claimed they had leads on men behind the two crude bombs found Sunday and the blasts Saturday.

“We hope to arrest the suspects soon as investigations have given us enough clues on who could be behind them,” Additional Police Commissioner M.R. Pujar told IANS.

The officer, however, refused to give further details.

“It is premature to disclose the leads as investigations are at an advanced stage. How can we disclose who are behind the incidents unless we first arrest suspects?” he said.

One of the blasts Saturday took place at Gate No 12, injuring 16 people, including four policemen. The second blast was at Anil Kumble circle, less than half a kilometre away. No one was injured.

A third explosive was found later in the stadium even as the IPL match was on and defused. Timer devices were attached to the three bombs.